GREENBELT, Md. (WUSA) -- A 56-year-old FEMA worker plead guilty to embezzling over $143,000 from the agency, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland announced.

Sheila Ann Howard, of Capital Heights, Md., began working for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 1986 and was made a Human Resource Specialist in 2008.

According to the plea, Howard processed payments for FEMA like cash awards and special bonuses. Howard admitted to processing 28 fraudulent payments in the names of 18 former FEMA workers and a current employee, according to authorities.